Pitzer Spotlights

Mary Beth Garber ’68
Alumna Named 2008 Broadcaster of the Year

Mary Beth Garber ’68, president of the Southern California Broadcasters Association (SCBA), was named Broadcaster of the Year at the 2008 national Radio Advertising Bureau convention.

Under Garber's leadership during the past ten years, the Los Angeles Radio market has grown to be the largest in the world, and the only one with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion.

While at SCBA, Garber has co-produced with Arbitron three behavioral studies about media usage and created the concept of “The Virtual Neighborhoods of Radio.”

An early and vocal advocate of radio’s continued importance as a twenty-first century medium, she has written and spoken throughout the country on the value of using radio together with the Internet to build stronger, more targeted marketing campaigns.

Garber has received numerous honors during her distinguished advertising and broadcast career including the Genii Award for Excellence in Radio, from the American Women in Radio and Television, the 2007 Golden Buccaneer Award from PIRATES (Print, Interactive Radio and TV Education Society) for her philanthropic endeavors, and has been on Radio Ink magazine’s list of “20 Most Influential Women In Radio” since its inception in 1999.
A former Pitzer College trustee, Garber is on the Board of Directors of think(LA), the Executive Board of the Los Angeles Media Marketing Research Council, the Board of Trustees of St. Francis Hospital Foundation and the Board of Variety Children’s Charity, Tent 25. She is a founding member of the L.A. ad industry charity, AIEF.

Garber's natural leadership talent and ability to influence others was recognized during her undergraduate years while she served as the first student class president.